Apparatus for utilizing heat of furnace products



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

A. M. HAY. APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING HEA'I 0P FURNACE PRODUCTS.

Wain/asses 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

A M. HAY. A APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING HEAT 0F FURNACE PRODUCTS. No. 582,587.

Patented May 11, 1897.

Wain/@5388 (No Mode l.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

A. M. HAY APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING HEAT 0P FURNACE PRODUCTS.

No. 582,587. I Patented Mayll, 1897.

A, a, a a mull/l, jkY/ m IIIIIZ/A' W4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER MARSHALL HAY, OE DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING HEAT OF FURNACE PRODUCTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 582,587, dated May 11, 1897.

Application filed March 20, 1896. Serial No. 584,101. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER MARsEALL HAY, of Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful improvements in apparatus for heating air for furnaces, &c., by the latent heat of products manufactured therein; .and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

This invention is an improved apparatus for utilizing the waste or latent heat in the corporeal products of furnaces, ovens, &c., which are delivered therefrom in a highlyheated condition for heating air, 850.

By this invention the products are subj ected while hot to currents of air, steam, (to. or mixtures thereof which absorb the heat from the products, and the air, steam, &c., thus heated are used either in maintaining the combustion in the furnace or for other useful purposes in the arts, as may be desired.

In the accompanyingdrawings I have illustrated the invention as applied to a furnace of the rotary type for burning clinker for cement, roasting ores, &c., by which application I effect the triple result of oxidizing and cooling the product preparatory to its being crushed or otherwise dealt with and heating the air and steam prior to its introduction into the combustion-chamber of the furnace, which latter results in economizing fuel by maintaining a higher temperature in the combustion-chamber.

In the drawings accompanying this application, Figure 1 is a plan view of a rotary furnace and connected apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the same on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail. Fig. 4is avertical longitudinal section through the gas-making apparatus. Fig. 5 is a transverse section on line 5 5, Fig. 4.

The construction of this furnace forms no part of the present invention, and I shall give but a conventional description thereof.

In the drawings, A designates a combustion-chamber open at both ends and supported in any suitable manner, so that it can be axially rotated.

The material to be treated in the furnace is fed into the rear end of the combustionchamber A through a hopper B and (the cylinder being inclined, as shown) passes gradually down to the front end thereof, from which the cement clinker or roasted ore drops into a hopper O, which directs it into a casing D, in which it is moved forward by a screw conveyer E of any suitable construction.

Preferably the delivery or front end of the combu stion-chamber A is substantially closed by a stationary end plate a, which is fitted over the receiving end of hopper C, so as not to prevent the escape of the product to the hopper. Through this plate passes an airpipe Gr, by which hot air or steam or mixtures of hot air and steam can be introduced into the cylinder along with gas injected through a pipe g, the mixtures ignitingas they enter the combustion-chamber and producing an intense heat therein. The waste gases pass from the combustion-chamber into a gasmaking and air-heating apparatus Z at the rear end of the furnace, of any suitable construction, wherein the heat of the waste gases is utilized in heating air and producing gas for consumption in the furnace, thus practically making a complete gas making and consuming plant of the apparatus.

Any one skilled in the art would be able to make a proper gas-making apparatus for utilizing the air and generating gas from the common knowledge of the art, and so far as the present invention is concerned this gas- Inaking apparatus would be a matter of selection rather than of invention, the only novelty being in introducing into the gasmaking apparatus the products of combustion from the clinker-burning furnace instead of heating the gas-making apparatus by a selfcontained fire; but gas-making apparatuses have been heated by products of combustion from smelting and other furnaces. I have shown, however, the preferred form of gasmaking apparatus. This consists of a pair of regenerating-chambers Q Q, filled with checker work and communicating at top through pipes q q with the uptake Z and through pipes R R with areturn hot-air pipe G, hereinafter referred to. Valves 7' 'r are arranged over the outlets of the chambers Q Q in such manner that they can be shifted by suitable levers so that communication is alternately established between one chamber and the uptake and with the other chamber and the air-pipe G. The lower ends of chambers Q Q communicate by separate passages S S with the outletpassage S from the combustion-chamber, and also communicate by passages s s with an air-supply pipe II, hereinafter referred to. Valves T t are placed beneath the chambers in such position that they can be shifted so that communication is alternately established between one chamber and the combustion-chamber and be tween the other chamber and pipe II. The valves T t are preferably operated by a system of levers also arranged to operate valves 7 9", and the result is that at the will of the operator products of combustion can be directed through chamber Q (or Q) to the uptake Z and simultaneously air directed from pipe II through the other chamber Q (or Q) to the pipe G. Practically the valves are shifted at intervals so that the chambers Q Q are alternately heated by the waste products of combustion and then utilized to heat air.

Athwart the passage is a retort U, to which oil can be supplied from a pipe u, and within each chamber Q Q is a coil V for superheating steam supplied from any convenient source, the superheated steam being admitted into retort U with a proper quantity of oil and a water-gas made as in the well-known gas-making apparatus. The gas from the retort can be, passed through either chamber Q or Q, (through which the products are not passing,) if desired, to be fixed, and thence led oif to be utilized, or the gases may be carried directly to the furnace through a pipe 9, hereinafter referred to.

As this particular gas-making apparatus forms the subject-matter ofan application for patent filed by myself and J. B. Archer April ill, 18%, Serial No. 588,954, further deseription thereof in this application is unnecessary.

In passing through the casin g D the clinker or ore is subjected to a blast of air moving toward the combustion-chamber and forced through the casing by a blower F of any suitable construction. The blades of the conveyer stir up the clinker or ore and cause the air to impinge thereagainst and rapidly cool it. The casing D should be of such length and the current of air passed through the casing of such volume that the clinker or ore will be practically cooled before it escapes from the easing into the crusher or other suitable receptacle.

The practical point to be attained here is the oxidizing and reduction of the temperature of the corporeal products which, leave the combustion-chamber A in a superheated condition to such a point that they can be immediately crushed.

In cement-burning furnaces it is important that the clinker be oxidized and cooled after it leaves the combustion-chamber to putit in condition for crushing. This is generally aeeomplished by exposure to the atmosphere in order to slake oif any extraneous lime which may be associated with the clinker, and the time required for this purpose varies with the atmospheric conditions, damp weather facilitating the process. I accomplish this oxidizing and slaking of the clinker simultaneously with the cooling thereof by introducing into easing D along with the air a jet of steam from a pipe I supplied with steam from the boiler or engine. (Not shown.) In practice it may be found that this steam-jet can be utilized to force air through the easing also. The steam facilitates the cooling of the clinker and oxidizes it very rapidly, so that by properlyregulating the feed of clinker through the casing or making the latter sufficiently long the clinker will be thoroughly oxidized and slaked ready for the crusher. At the same time the steam as it nears the combustion chamber becomes superheated and more or less decomposed into its constituent gases, which are of great value in making combustible gases or for combining with gaseous liquid or solid hydrocarbons in the combustion-chamber to support combustion therein. Thus by this apparatus air or steam or mixtures thereof can be utilized to cool, oxidize, and slake the clinker or products while being thereby raised to a tempera ture which renders them admirably adapted for advantageous use in making combustible gases or for assisting in combustion of fuel in the combustion-chainber.

\Vhen the heated air, steam, or mixtures thereof are introduced directlyinto the combustion-chamber A, to support combustion therein, they may be led therein to and through hopper C, or, if desired, they may be carried oif and used elsewhere or led back to the gas making apparatus Z and further heated or utilized therein. lVhen the hot air, steam, &c., are thus diverted, double valves 0 c are put in the throat of hopper 0 above IIO the screw conveyor, the valves being opened and shut alternately by any suitable mechanism, so that while the clinker will be dropped into the casing D the flow of air through the hopper will be cut off and the air and steam, &c., pass out through a lateral pipe II, connected to the receiving end of easing, said pipe extending back to the gas-making apparatus Z, as shown in Fig. 1.

The eombustion-chamber A may be mounted on rollers P, one of which is mounted on a shaft P, which can be revolved by any suitable means and may be rotated by a sprocketehain I, passing over a sprocket 2' on the shaft P, and a sprocket e on the projecting inner end of the shaft E of the screw conveyor E, which shaft E can be driven at its outer end by any suitable prime mover; or, if desired, power can be applied to the combustionchamber and the screw convcyer driven from the latter, if necessary.

It will be observed that the cold air, steam,

&c., entering the end of easing D contact successively with pieces of clinker or ore of successively higher temperatures, ultimately leaving the casing at a temperature about equal to that of the product falling from the combustion-chamber, while the latter as it moves toward the exit end of the casing D is gradually oxidized and reduced in temperature and finally escapes at a normal temperature. By this arrangement I am enabled to furnish the combustion-chamber with heated air, steam, &c., for combustion, or by supplying the gas-makin g apparatus therewith I am enabled to obtain greater efficiency in said apparatus for a given amount of fuel burned and utilized in the primary combustion-chamber, (cylinder A, for instance.)

\Vhile I have illustrated the invention as applied and especially adapted to a rotary combustion-chamber gas-burning clinkerfurnace, it is obviously applicable to other varieties of furnaces producing heated corporeal products.

By products of the furnace I refer to the tangible products thereof-not products of combustion-with which the present invention has nothing to do, and where products is used alone in the specification and claims it refers to the thing produced by or operated 011 in the combustion-chamber, not to gases produced by combustion therein.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent thereon, is-

1. In a cement-burning apparatus, the combination of the combustion-chamber, a gasmaking apparatus at one end thereof into which the waste products of combustion are discharged; a receptacle at the other end of the combustion-chamber into which the corporeal products are delivered and means for passing the said corporeal products through said receptacle in one direction, and means for forcing air or steam or mixtures thereof through the corporeal products in the receptacle; with a pipe for conducting heated air from the receptacle to the gas-making apparatus; means for admitting air to the combustion-chamber; and pipes for conducting gas from the gas-making apparatus to the combustion chamber to support combustion therein, all substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination of a combustion-chamber, a gas-making apparatus having an airheating chamber at one end thereof, into which the products of combustion are delivered; and a casing at the opposite end into which the corporeal products of the combustion-chamber are delivered while hot; means for passing said coporeal products through the casingin one direction; means for forcing air through the products in said casing and thence to the air-heating chamber of said gas-makin g apparatus; a pipe for conducting hot air from said air-heating chamber to the combustion-chamber; and a pipe for conducting gas from said gas-making apparatus to the combustion-chamber, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination in a cement-burning apparatus, of a rotary combustion-chamber A having a stationary end plate a; a feedhopper B, and delivery-hopper C; a casing D communicating with the delivery-hopper; means for moving the hot clinker through said casing in one direction, and means for forcing air through the clinker in the casing in the opposite direction; combined with a gas-making apparatus having an air-heating chamber, substantially as described, at the rear end of the combustion-chamber heated by the hot products of combustion therefrom; a pipe II for conducting hot air from the casing to the air-heating chamber; an air-pipe G for directing hot air from said gas-making apparatus to the combustion-chamber; and a gas-pipe g for conducting gas from said gasmaking apparatus into the combustion-chamber, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALEXANDER MAR-SHALL HAY.

\Vitnesses:

VIRGIL W. BLANCHARD, ARTHUR E. DowELL. 

